Ludhiana, May 18
In a shocking incident, a fight over the division of booty between three migrant labourers turned ugly, leading to the death of two of them at Ramgarh village near Kohara on the Chandigarh road here today.

The victims have been identified as 24-year-old Mohd Noshad and 25-year-old Dinesh Kumar. People staying nearby spotted the duo lying in a pool of blood during the wee hours.

Village residents informed the police and the victims were rushed to the Civil Hospital, where Dinesh was declared brought dead. Before succumbing to his injuries a few hours later, Noshad told the medical attendant that he had killed Dinesh.

Soon after receiving the information, the police launched a probe and learnt that Chander Mohanto, Dinesh and Noshad worked as construction labourers at the house of Lakhvir Singh in Jandiali village. After finishing the work, they came to a vacant plot.

According to sources, they had stolen iron rods from Lakhvir Singh's house a few days ago and sold them in the market. Dinesh kept the booty with him. Noshad demanded the distribution of the money, but Dinesh refused to share it. In a fit of rage, Noshad pulled out a dagger and stabbed him. The victim started bleeding profusely and Chander Mohanto attacked Noshad with a rod.

Taking both to be dead, Mohanto fled the scene. According to the SHO Sahnewal, the police has registered a case against Mohanto and the hunt is on to nab the accused.

Panic spreads

The incident created panic in the area. The news of the double murder spread like wild fire and senior police officials, including the DCP, reached the spot to investigate the matter. Initially, it was said that the duo was mistaken as thieves and lynched by residents. Due to the fear of legal complications, none of the residents offered to help rush the victims to hospital. It was only after the police arrived that the victims were taken to hospital in an ambulance.

Ludhiana, May 18
It was a dream come true for a small town boy, Ishaan Batta, when he cleared the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) examination and secured the 186th rank. Meanwhile, Kanav Gupta from Ludhiana got the 546th rank and Pradik Aggarwal the 608th rank.

Belonging to a sleepy town Khanna, Ishaan moved to Delhi after class X. He also wanted coaching for the IIT examinations. "My parents always believed in me and allowed me to shift my base to Delhi, so that I could concentrate on the examination," he said.

Ishaan's father is a municipal councillor in Khanna and his mother is a teacher. After getting a good rank, Ishaan now wants to make it to the IIT (Bombay) and get admission in computer engineering since he wants to be a software engineer. Solving mathematical puzzles is his passion. He had topped in the class X exam in Khanna.

For Kanav Gupta, who secured the 546th rank, self study was the key.
"I believe in self study and never took any coaching classes. Clearing the exam was the only thing on my mind for the past two years and it paid me," he added, smiling confidently.

Kanav's father is a chartered accountant and mother is a homemaker. He wants to pursue computers at the IIT (Roorkee).

Pradik Aggarwal's passion is to become an engineer like his father. He secured the 608th rank. "I did not take any other entrance exam as I had resolved to clear the IIT exam. I went to Chandigarh for my preparation and took coaching. I want to pursue engineering in physics and wish to get admission in the IIT, Bombay.

Poor show

Compared to last year, the students did not fare well in the exams. Apart from these three students, no other student managed to get a rank even up to 1,000. Seven students had managed to get a rank under 1,000 last year and over two dozen students from the city had made it to the IIT. But this year, the number has decreased, with most students getting a rank in 2,000.

Ludhiana, May 18
With the Municipal Corporation elections just round the corner, the officials are geared up to check illegal flex boards installed in several parts of the
city. Four teams of the tehbazaari wing started removing the boards today.

For the last around a month, these boards have been dotting the streets. Several leaders have installed billboards with photographs of senior party leaders, claiming that they would serve residents if given a chance.

To derive political mileage, a virtual war for installing the flex boards at prominent sites in and around the city has begun. Some of the boards have been installed illegally on private buildings and electricity poles.

The self-proclaimed candidates, which include "keen" contenders from almost all political parties have installed these boards with almost a common theme and “tuhadi sewa vich haazir" (in your service) written on them.

But taking a tough stand against such boards, four teams, one each for every zone, have been formed by the MC Commissioner. If any one wants to install a board on a private building, he would require to get permission from
the MC.

Pawan Sood, inspector in the tehbazaari wing of zone A, said that the boards were being removed in view of the approaching civic body elections. “If any person wants to install a board in any part of the city, he needs to take permission from the MC. All boards that are installed without permission will be removed and if any person installs them again, an FIR will be registered against him,” he warned.

Ludhiana, May 18
The Division No. 8 police has nabbed Robina and her husband Jagjit Singh for allegedly duping a large number of youths on the pretext of sending them abroad.

Robina and Jagjit, who were running JR Immigration Company from Madhok Complex on the Ferozepur road, had been evading arrest and were on the run for the past
few days.

The unsuspecting youths who fell victim to the fraudsters even staged a protest in front of the office of the immigration company.

Navreet Singh, Additional Station House Officer (SHO), Division No. 8 police, said that the accused were arrested following the complaint of Ram Singh, a resident
of Raikot.

The news of the arrest of the con couple spread like wild fire in and round the city and as many as 50 youths from places like Moga, Raikot, Jagraon, Hambran, Haibowal and Jalandhar visited the police station to lodge their complaint against the couple.

Arun Kumar, a migrant labourer from Uttar Pradesh, was also cheated by the couple.

“The couple duped me of Rs 4 lakh. I sold my
land in Uttar Pradesh for peanuts for going abroad. The accused told me that they would help settle me permanently in Fiji/Malaysia. To my shock, I was instead sent to Malaysia on a tourist visa. I had no money and had to work at the airport to buy a return ticket,” he claimed.

Several other youths complained that the
couple neither returned their money nor their visas.

Ludhiana, May 18
There was high drama at Vishwa Karma Chowk following the death of a woman and her newborn. The family of the victims claimed that delay in treatment at a nursing home led to the death of the woman and her baby. The nursing home authorities have refused to comment on the issue.

Dalip Kumar, a labourer, said he rushed his wife to the nursing home after she got labour pains. “The doctor told me that they would start the caesarean process only once I arranged the money. I immediately started arranging for the money, but the doctors did not attend to her, leading to the death of my wife and son,” he alleged.

The police has initiated inquest proceedings under Section 172 of the CrPC.
Satnam Singh Dhaliwal, a social worker, has demanded that a board of doctors from the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) and Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) conduct the autopsy and find the real cause of the deaths.

Jagraon, May 18
A father son duo was killed in a road mishap near Halwara yesterday. The deceased have identified as Mahinder and his son Ramdhan of Rajoana Kalan village.

As per the information, both of them were returning home on a two-wheeler after getting eye’s of Mahinder checked at a hospital in Sarbha.

According to sources, when they reached near Halwara they were hit by an a car coming from the rear side. Some passerby informed their family members about the accident and soon after, both were rushed to the hospital.

While Mahinder was declared brought dead at the hospital, Ramdhan also succumbed to his injuries after some time. The Sudhar police handed over the bodies to the family members after a post-mortem examination was conducted.

A case has been registered against the unknown car driver and the investigation is on.

Ludhiana, May 18
When one enters Ward Number 25 from the old GT Road side, one is welcomed by an ill-maintained green belt, which starts from Budha Nullah and goes up till Jalandhar Byepass Chowk. But as one moves towards the ward, one is welcomed by well maintained roads, which is a pleasant surprise in this part of the city.

Iron grills installed on the boundary wall of the green belt in
the Salem Tabri area get stolen often

A metalled road in the Salem Tabri area of the ward.

Inhabited mostly by the service class, the ward can not be dubbed as “bad” in terms of infrastructure, but it does have some of the most “common” problems being faced by residents of other wards. Though the roads are well maintained, yet the residents claim that some parts of the Peeru Banda area needs attention. The area along the Budha Nullah has foul smell emanating from garbage thrown around and water accumulation during the rainy season.

The area councillor says that the development work will be completed soon.

Some years ago the green belt in the area used to be well maintained but now, it is in a state of neglect. There is no sign of greenery and even the grills installed on the boundary wall very often get stolen

The stink emanating from around the banks of Budha Nullah makes life miserable for residents living in the area, but they have no other option but to stay in the unhealthy surrounding.

Sitting councillor Prem Sharma is from the Bharatiya Janta Party(BJP). She had won the last MC elections held in the year 2007 for the first time. Her son RD Sharma had contested the 2002 MC elections as an independent and had lost to Madan Lal Bagga, an Akali leader, who at that time was in the Congress. When the ward became reserved for women candidates, RD Sharma’s mother Prem Sharma contested in his place. This time, RD Sharma, a close confidant of BJP district president and Senior Deputy Mayor Parveen Bansal, is expected to contest the MC elections.

We have tried hard to maintain the green belt in the ward. But we are facing some problems from the MC’s end. The civic body is short-staffed and is not able to provide us with security guards, who can keep a tab on unscrupulous elements entering the ward. I had requested the MC Commissioner to let us form a park management committee (PMC) for the green belt, but I was told that there was no such provision. Even the MC is not having enough number of gardeners who can maintain the green belt. Ever since I was elected, I have got the roads metalled and three new tube wells have also been installed in the ward. In the coming days, the ward will become one of the best in the
city.

— Prem Sharma, Councillor, Ward Number 25

reSIDENTS Speak

The area councillor has performed well and and we do not face problems like those faced by residents of adjoining wards. I hope the councillor continues to perform well in the future
too.

— Raghbir Singh, resident, ward number 25

Some roads of the ward are full of potholes and special attention should be paid to them so that there are no accidents. The police patrolling in the area should also be intensified so that anti-social elements can be kept at
bay.

— Lovely Singh, resident, Ward Number 25

The green belt in the area should be maintained properly so that it gives a pleasant look to the ward. Its sad that the MC has failed to maintain the green
belt.

— Tejinder Singh, resident, Ward Number 25

As the ward is located on the old GT Road, we face problems while crossing ithe road. If a pedestrian under pass is constructed, it will become easy for the residents to cross the road. This will also bring down the number of
accidents.

— AB Singh, resident, Ward Number 25

When residents dump garbage in vacant plots of the area, it gives rise to several infections and diseases. There should be a ban on throwing garbage in vacant plots and the green belt should be properly
maintained.

Ludhiana, May 18
The gate of head post-office has been kept closed for vehicles.

A chain tied onto the gate only allows people to
walk in.

It prevents vehicles from outside to enter the post office premises.

Officials said the post office premise was turning into a free parking
zone for the outside vehicles.

RL Meena, Senior Superintendent of Post Offices (City), said it was becoming chaotic as people would leave their vehicles here and would not return for hours. It was turning into a free parking
space. People visiting the post office hardly find any space to park their vehicles.

People who did not wish to pay for parking fee at the district courts nearby, parked their vehicles
here, said an official. Another official said sometimes vehicles are kept here for days.

The signage "No Parking" does make any difference. You would find most of the vehicles parked right in that space, said another official.

Relating to an instance, he said a person not being able to place his
vehicle after coming back from somewhere started arguing inside the post office.

About charging the parking fee to resolve the problem, the SSPO said they tried it too.

But it is not viable because people come
here for a very short duration. So it is not possible to pay the parking fee.

Apart from that, paying parking fee of Rs 5 to
10 is unreasonable for some who come to post office to buy stamps of a few
paisas.

Ludhiana, May 18
The Director General, School Education
(DGSE), has conducted a surprise check in 141 government schools of the District. As many as 16 teams inspected various schools of city and rural area.

As many as 18 teachers were found to be absent, 62 teachers came late and 27 teachers were on long leave during the inspection. The DGSE has ordered an official inquiry and action against the erring schoolteachers found absent in the school during the checking. As many as 107 teachers has been
givenshow-cause notice in this regard.

Apart from the checking of absentee teachers, the inspection teams also checked the status of potable water availability , attendance of students and cleanliness on the school campus.

The inspection teams reached the schools before the schools began in the morning. Satpal Sharma, in charge, inspection teams, said they had checked all the basic requirements in schools.

DGSE Ashok Singla said that education department of Punjab had already instructed all the District Education Officers to ensure the attendance of the teachers in respective schools of their area.

"The Punjab Government is committed to improve the education standards in the state and no laxity will be tolerated and all the erring officials will be dealt with sternly" he added.

Ludhiana, May 18
The Municipal Corporation might face tough resistance from residents tomorrow as it will carry out demolition drive in Basti Jodhewal
chowk.

The MC officials have requested the local police to provide 100 policemen, including 20 female police officers. They suspect that they might face tough resistance from the residents of the locality.

During the drive, MC will demolish 15 shops and four rooms of Government Senior Secondary School, which are said to be coming in the way of the six lane project of main GT Road.

The district administration had decided to demolish a portion of the school and 15 shops a few days back. Deputy Commissioner Rahul
Tewari, along with Police Commissioner Ishwar Singh and other district administration and MC officials had visited the spot on Tuesday.

Following the visit, some of the residents accompanied by parents of children studying in the school blocked the GT Road on Wednesday in
protest.

Rahul Tewari said the school has encroached upon. After getting orders from the court, the district administration has decided to demolish a portion of it. “Only that part of the school will be demolished which is coming in way of the six lane project. I have already asked the District Education Officer to make alternative arrangements so that the students don’t suffer,” said the DC.

When contacted the assistant town planner, Harpreet
Ghai, said that hopefully, the drive would be carried out tomorrow morning. “We have served notices to owners of 15 shops which will be demolished along with four rooms of the school,” he said.

Ludhiana, May 18
A postage-stamp on MB Kadadi was released here yesterday. It was available yesterday at the Head Post-Office.

MB Kadadi is known for starting Sangameshwar College at Solapur in Maharashtra and for taking part in Swadeshi and Quit India Movements.

He was one of the founders of Sanchar, a Marathi newspaper, and was also one of the founders of Solapur Chamber of Commerce and Industries and became a premier organisation of trade and commerce in the district. A charitable dispensary in the town apart from Shri Siddeshwar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre is also attributed to him. As president of Shri Siddheshwar Deosthan Panch Committee, he contributed in establishing many new institutions for the welfare of
all communities.

Ludhiana, May 18
Christian Dental College, Ludhiana, is organising a one day Dental Education Programme on “Dental implants: Ambition to reality”, which is accredited with six CDE points by the Punjab Dental Council at Lady Willingdon Assembly of Christian Medical College, here.

The chief guest for the programme will be Dr RS Mann, President, Punjab Dental Council and the guest of honour will be Dr Abraham G Thomas, Director of Christian Medical College, Ludhiana.

Dr Vikas Jindal, vice-president of Punjab Dental Council and president of the Ludhiana branch of the Indian Dental Association will also be the guest of honour for the occasion.

Recently, implant dentistry is taking lot of importance in dental practice with the predictable success rate of replacing missing teeth with titanium implants into the bone and attaching the prosthetic component immediately or later depending on the clinical condition. Implant dentistry is practised at Christian Dental College (CDC) since 2002 and there are more than 2,000 implants placed successfully with good follow up of all the cases with a dedicated team for the same.

Ludhiana, May 18
The Ludhiana Street Vendors’ Federation was set up during a national convention of street vendors from different parts of the country at Punjabi Bhawan yesterday.

Street vendors are often blamed for the litter, hampering of traffic in the areas where they lodge or where the mandis are organised. They are also blamed for encroaching on the roads. But they are facing problems of livelihood, because they are often uprooted from areas during the encroachment drives.

Arbind Singh, National Coordinator with National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), spoke on the problems faced by street vendors. BK Gupta, Joint Commissioner of the Ludhiana Management Association assured that the problems would be looked into by the MC.

Earlier in the day, they presented a memorandum to the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation through Gupta for proper implementation of the National Policy for Street Vendors.

According to the memorandum, proper implementation of the policy entails vending license for vendors or those desirous of vending should be prescribed. A Town Vending Committee should be constituted with representatives from municipal body, the police and the street vendor organizations.

A student performs at an annual function of Sat Paul Mittal School in Ludhiana. Tribune photo: Himanshu Mahajan

Annual function

Sat Paul Mittal School organised their annual day for the students of Classes II-V at Nehru Sidhant Kender here on Friday. The function showcased the Satyans endeavour to convey India's capacity to be a superpower.Green India - a play in English by the Satyans of Class- II focused on the role of Indians from the lower strata of society in making India green and eco-friendly.

Students of pre-KG enjoyed the pool party on the Dav Public School premises. It was a treat to see the tiny tots dressed in their colorful swimming attires .They looked charming and caught everyone's attention. The party provided much needed relief from the scorching sun. The little ones enjoyed splashing water on each other, singing and dancing in the artificial rain that was arranged for the event.

Cooling off

Young innovators of KidsQuest Pre School enjoyed a pool party with their facilitators. It was sight to see them in colorful costumes. The children played water games and enjoyed therain dance, the day ended with lots of fun.

Beat the heat

With the mercury rapidly soaring to an unbearable level, Penguin Castle Preschool, Udham Singh Nagar, arranged a special pool party for children on the school premises on Friday. While children, like adults, find the summer weather oppressive, playing in the school splash-pool gave an opportunity to beat the heat. Under the watchful eyes of the teachers and staff, the tiny tots splashed around in the water with gay abandon.

Free medical camp

A free medical dental check up camp was held at Mehta Gurukul Public Senior Secondary School, Doraha, on Friday. A camp was organised by the team of doctors, of Soni Dental Hospital and Implant centre, Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana. Doctors told the children about the importance of brushing teeth twice a day, a regular balanced diet and physical fitness. As many as 600 students were check up at the camp. — TNS

Jagraon, May 18
The Jagraon police has seized a rich haul of opium from a person here this morning. The accused has been identified as Sunil Kumar, a resident of College Road, Jagraon. The police has seized 7 kg of opium from the accused possession.

Besides this, as many as seven boxes of illegal liquor were also recovered from the house of the accused during a raid conducted by the police at his house. Gurpreet Singh Toor, SSP, Jagraon, gave this information during a press conference at his office today. Giving details, Toor stated that the opium was recovered from Sunil Kumar following a tip off.

“The police team had set up a naka near New Grain Market, Jagraon, this morning during which the police stopped a Maruti Swift car coming from Sherpura Road. After a search was conducted, the police found 7 kg of opium hidden inside the car following which the police arrested the accused and impounded the car”, said Toor.

The SSP said that during the preliminary investigation, the accused confessed before the police that he had hidden a huge quantity of illegal liquor at his residence following which a raid at his house was conducted.

A case has been registered against the accused at Jagraon city police station and the investigation is on.

In two separate incidents, the Jagraon police arrested two persons and recovered huge quantity of habit forming drugs from their possession. In the first incident, the police arrested a youth from Kutba village near Raikot late last evening and recovered more than 5,000 tablets and capsules of habit forming drugs and 25 bottles of cough syrup from his possession. The accused has been identified as Salim Ali of Ramghar village near Jagraon. The police has registered a case against the accused at Raikot police station under various sections of the NDPS Act. In the second incident, the Raikot police arrested Jaswant Singh from Tajpur village near Raikot and recovered 22 kg of poppy husk from his possession. Jaswant Singh has also been booked under various sections of the NDPS Act and the investigation is on.